Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-09
QUITE A SENSATION
A TRUSTED OFFICIAL CAUGHT DE-
FRAUplHe THE GOVERNMENT.
systematie Ptcuiations Of a Chief OF Divi-
sion In tho Third Auditors Office
How the Work was Done.
[Rr telerraph % lhe DIspalch.

| WASHINGTON, July s. -Somethiny Of
n sensation was created in the Treasury
Department this afternoon by the dis
coyery that trusted official in the de-
partment had been guilty Of systema-
tic attempt TO defraud the Government.
The officer was arrested in Wilkesbarre,
| Pa, yesterday afternoon when about TO
take the train for Washington, and his
dismissal from the service was ordered
by Secretary Fairchild this afternoon.
Lis nome is Oscar J. Harvey, and he
has been employed in the department
since June, 1885, when he was appoint
cd chief OF the horse-claims division of
the Third Auditors Office. 1t was while
he held this position that he perpe-
trated the fraud with which he is now
charged. On the ID of June last he was
transferred to the head of the division
in the Second Comptroller's office, the
division which has charge OF claims of
the same nature as those in the division
which he had Just left. Austin H..
Brown, of indianapolis, succeeded
Harvey as chief of the horse-claims
division. Soon after he took charge
of the Office he discovered the frauds
Of which his predecessor had been
| guilty. These consisted of the passage
of forty-six fraudulent claims for
horses aggregating $1,000 and the
preparation of two hundred and six
teen additional cases of similar ma
iure, which were under consideration in
the Office. Soon after Brown took
charge he discovered something wrong
and reported the matter to the Socre-
tary. lie said his suspicious were first
aroused by popularity in the auto
graphic signatures to the number of
claims for horses lost or abandoned
during the war by officers of Pennsyl-
vania and New Jersey regiments. On
the 2Cth Of June he discovereda palpable
forgery in ono OF these cases, all of
which appeared to have been prose-
cuted by W. w. Wynn, first of Phila-
delphis and then Of Washington. In
the case referred to the claim was made
10y II. Stafford Campbell, late lieuten-
ant-colonel Eighty third Pennsylvania
infantry, for three horses valued at
$500 each, lost at different times. The
affidavit of the applicant was sworn to
and subscribed April 2G, 1897, before
J. c. Monfort, notary public. OF Phila-
delphia, whose jurat and seal were at
tached. The sustaining witness also
made an affidavit before the same no.
tary April 30, 1887. In the body
of this affidavit William II. La
mont is referred to as major
of the Eighty-third regiment Penn
sylvania infantry, but the signature
to the affidavit is William II. Lambert.
he Adjutant General Of the Army certi-
fed that William II. Lamont was the
right name of the Major. The claim
was held up and letter was sent to w.
W. Wynn, the attorney in the case, re-
Qucsting him to call st the office. He
did not call and on tho 28th ultimo
the Third AuditOrrcceivedale ttersigned
lucrotia Il. Wynn, saying that her nus
band, W. W. Wynn. was then absent
in the West and would be away two or
three months, but that she would send
him any information necessary to his
business. In the mean time the paper
in the Campbell case certifying to the
commences of the signatures had been
distracted from the Office, and it was
| then found that the signatures in that
case and in twelve others, invOlv-
ing tho names of thirty-eight officers,
were forgcries. Subsequently it was
| found that the Second Auditors name
had been forged in certificates re-
ceiyed from that Office ; and also that
none of the Pennsylvania and New
Jersey cases i'll which Wynn was ut
torncy were entered upon the records
of that office. The claims which hal
been allowed were then Overhanled,
and in almost every instance it WAS
found that the Second Auditors GER
tlticates as to the signatures had been
distracted, together with other papers.
This investigation lasted over a week.
During that time Oscar j. Harvey was
on Guty at his desk in the Second
Comptrollor's office, and there was eve
" evidence that lie was concerned in
the preparation of all the suspicious
documents. The stamp of the mail
room in the Third Auditors office and
the stamp of the horse-caims division
had been forged and the dates ar
ranged so as to bring them within
the limitation fixed for the fling of
these claims. The stamp of the Quar-
termaster Generals Office was also
forged In this way forty-three fraudu
lent claims, aggregatiug $1,000, were
rald. Drafts were regularly issued,
and en- examination of such as have
been returned az paid shows that Har-
vey and Wynn are one and the same
person, and that although the drafts
were drawn in favor of the claimants
the money, with one or two exceptions,
went directly to Harvey or to some OF
bis relations. lie had secured their
payment by forging the signature of
payoe and then endorsing the draft
with his own name.
Monfolt, the Philadelphia notary,
Ike Wynn, the attorney, was found to
teamyth. Most of the notAries and
Iersons named in the claim are I'M
LnOwn to the department.
In addition to the 43 cases passed
there have been $50 cases adjusted, ag-
qrtcatlag $4,000. and there are still
ending and unnSjusted cases amount
Ing to Sl3, 600, making total of psi
fraudulent cases which might have been
cveItvally laid but for the discovery.
Harvey left Washington about the
1st instant on a short vacation, and. as
already stated, was arrested rs he was
about to return. He was brought to
this city 10y officers of the secret ser
vice, who have kept him under suryeil-
lance since be was first suspected
He asked to see the Secretary, and
Fairchild consented TO see him. Dis
trict-Attorney Woithington was sent
for and Harvey saw the Secretary in his
presence. He was very much depressed
in spirits and seemed to be penitent.
When he was informed of the evidence
against him he broke down completely
and made a full confession of his guilt.
BE admitted not only that the papers
on which the claims were based were
fraudulent and the signaturesforged but
that the stamps of the Quartermaster-
Generals and Second Auditors office
were counterfeit and had been pro-
cured and used by him. He further
stated that lie had no accomplice in